Thermal Containment System Providing Temperature Maintaining Shipping Package with Segmented Flexible PCM Panels

ABSTRACT

A packaging system having an outer container and a segment panel defining a plurality of phase change material (PCM) segments, with said segments being aligned with sides of the outer container interior upon wrapping around a payload and insertion into the outer container. The segmented panels may include edge tapers which facilitate the wrapping process with adjacent edge tapers being brought together during the wrapping process. A method of packaging using PCM-containing segments which are wrapped around a portion of a payload is also disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to pending U.S. Ser. No. 61/177,998,filed May 13, 2009, and hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is directed to a thermal containment systemproviding a package for a temperature sensitive product and a method ofuse. More particularly, the present invention relates to a package andmethod of use for shipping temperature sensitive materials via commoncarriers, such as United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service,FedEx, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional means of shipping temperature sensitive materials suchas blood and medical products involves the use of an insulated box alongwith some cooling agent. These cooling agents are typically a frozengel, dry ice, or glistening (wet) ice.

There are, however, several problems with the conventional approach.First, the insulation material often does not degrade readily, leadingto disposal problems. These problems are so severe that many countriesban the use of styrofoam, thus severely restricting internationalshipments of biological materials. Second, the cooling agents alsopresent numerous practical problems in field use. Specifically, gelsystems are often too expensive for routine use and disposal. As for dryice, the carbon dioxide gas evolved during shipment may be dangerous toshipping personnel. Wet ice poses handling problems in packing, as wellas leakage and product soaking problems.

Many previously existing shipping systems also suffer the disadvantagethat they are not capable of maintaining the shipped product or payloadwithin a target temperature range. Various biological products, such asplatelets, whole blood, semen, organs and tissue, must be maintainedabove a predetermined minimum temperature and below a predeterminedmaximum temperature. Pharmaceutical products are also commonly requiredto be kept within a specified temperature range. Food products, flowersand produce frequently have preferred storage temperature ranges aswell. Many known methods and systems for shipping such products are notable to keep temperatures within the desired range. The result of thispractice is excessive cooling, frequently resulting in damage to theproduct.

Previously known methods and systems which are capable of maintaining apayload within a specified temperature range have been found to beunsuited to certain applications, unduly complex in practice, and/orprohibitively expensive. For example, refrigerated containers requireassociated compressors, coils, crystals, or other equipment, which addsto the apparatus' expense, weight and size. Additionally, this type ofequipment generally requires batteries or connection to an externalpower source. Refrigerated containers also require ventilation, so thatheat from the payload can be rejected to the ambient. Sufficientventilation for the proper operation of these devices is generallyunavailable in the closely-packed cargo compartments of common carriertransport vehicles. Refrigerated transport vehicles exist, but aresubstantially more expensive than unrefrigerated transport, and are notas readily available.

Another problem often observed with conventional systems is failure tomaintain the proper temperature over time, due to inadequate insulationand/or inadequate cooling pack capacity. Again, the end result isproduct damage.

The consequence of these observed shortcomings of conventional shippingsystems is damage to the material being transported. For biomedicalmaterials such as blood, blood products, pharmaceuticals, etc., loss ofthese products due to heat damage is critical because of the intrinsicfinancial value of these items and because of the potential healthhazards that the use of compromised materials presents. Likewise, heatdamage to various foods also presents both financial and healthconsequences.

Packages incorporating phase change materials for transport oftemperature sensitive payloads are well known. A phase change material(PCM) is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, upon melting andsolidifying at certain temperatures, is capable of storing or releasinglarge amounts of energy. Initially, solid-liquid PCMs perform somewhatlike conventional storage materials: their temperature rises as theyabsorb heat. Unlike conventional storage materials, however, when suchPCMs reach their phase change temperatures (i.e., melting pointtemperature) they absorb large amounts of heat without a significantrise in temperature. When the ambient temperature around a liquidmaterial falls, the PCM solidifies, releasing its stored latent heat.Certain PCMs store 5 to 14 times more heat per unit volume thanconventional storage materials such as iron, masonry, or rock.

Transporting temperature sensitive materials through environments havingextreme ambient temperatures in a manner that does not require a powersource or other mechanical device is desirable. Various methods havebeen advanced for this purpose. For example, prior known devices haveemployed phase change materials in liquid form to encase a payload toprotect materials from colder ambient temperatures and phase changematerials in solid form to encase a payload to protect materials fromhotter ambient temperatures. PCMs can be broadly grouped into twocategories: “Organic Compounds” (such as polyethylene glycol) and“Salt-based Products” (such as Glauber's salt). The most commonly usedPCMs are salt hydrides, fatty acids and esters, and various paraffins(such as octadecane). Ionic liquids have also been investigated as novelPCMs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a package and method of encasing apayload with phase change materials and an outer container, wherein thePCM material is provided in segmented panels. In one embodiment, apayload is surrounded with phase change material contained withinsegmented PCM panels that are wrapped around a payload. A package inaccordance with the present invention may include multiple segmentedpanels of phase change material with each segment including a generallyrigid insert for lightweight, structural stability.

An embodiment of the present invention includes a package defined by anouter container, such as a container, which contains insulated panelsand one or more flexible, segmented PCM panels surrounding a payload. Inone example, the segments are defined by bondings between panelsurfaces. Such a bond can be formed via a film thermal bondingprocedure. One embodiment of the present invention utilizes multiplepanels of generally similar form to define a plurality of segmented PCMportions.

It is desired to have a lightweight, highly reliable, portable containerthat maintains the temperature of pharmaceutical products or othertemperature sensitive materials over a relatively long or given periodof time. For pharmaceutical products/materials for example, it isdesired to maintain thermal stability to allow the material toultimately be administered to patients many hours or days after theywere first placed into the container.

An embodiment of the present invention includes a thermal managementsystem. The thermal management system includes a plurality ofPCM-containing panels connected together to form a segmented PCM module.The system further includes a phase change material occupying voids ofcorrugated panels within an interior of the plurality of panels, and aliquid container, such as film, to at least prevent the phase changematerial from leaking out of the interior of the plurality ofPCM-containing panels.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method ofmanufacturing a thermal management system. The method utilizes ahorizontal fill-and-seal machine. The method comprises securing a bottomfilm layer into a cavity form, such as via a vacuum, and dispensing PCMfluid into the formed cavity. Corrugated paper insert elements are thenplaced into the cavity and physically held in place to allow air toescape the flutes of the corrugated paper elements while the PCM fluidsaturates the corrugated paper elements. A top film layer is then placedabove the cavity and the top and bottom film layers are heat sealedtogether to provide a fluid-tight cavity. The method further providesforming a plurality of PCM-containing cavities simultaneously wherein astep includes sealing the phase change material and plurality ofcorrugated insert panels within a plurality of cavities to define asegmented PCM panel.

A further embodiment of the present invention includes a method of usinginsert panels within each PCM-containing cavity and wherein the insertpanels are cut in complimentary manner that facilitates the fit betweenthe PCM-containing panels and cavities. In one such embodiment, themultiple insert panels may be pre-cut with an edge taper to define aplurality of tapered edges. These tapered edges permit closer engagementbetween adjacent PCM panels once formed into a desired shippingconfiguration.

A further embodiment of the present invention includes a method of usingmultiple insert panels within each PCM-containing cavity and wherein themultiple insert panels are of different size relative to each other. Inone such embodiment, the multiple insert panels may be decreasing insize to define a plurality of tapered edges. These tapered edges permitcloser engagement between adjacent PCM panels once formed into a desiredshipping configuration.

A further embodiment of the present invention includes a method of usinga pair of segmented PCM panels, with each panel being defined by threePCM-containing segments. The PCM panels are formed into a generallyC-shaped form once inserted into an outer container. The pair of PCMpanels can thus cover all six sides of a rectangular form.

A further embodiment of the present invention includes a method of usinga single segmented PCM panel. The PCM panel is formed into a generallyrectangular form prior to insertion into an outer container. Segments ofthe PCM panel cover all six sides of a rectangular form. Some or all ofthe segments of the PCM panel may include an insert panel to providelightweight, structural stability.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method ofusing a thermal management system. The method comprises thermallypreconditioning a container at a preconditioning temperature for apredefined period of time. The container is designed to include aplurality of segmented PCM panels, a phase change material occupyingvoids within the interiors of the plurality of panel segments and voidswithin an insert panel(s), and a liquid barrier to at least prevent thephase change material from leaking out of the interior of the pluralityof panel segments. The method further includes opening the container,placing at least one pharmaceutical product or material into thecontainer, and closing the container. The method also comprises shippingthe container to a destination location during a predetermined timeperiod such that a temperature of the at least one product stays withina predetermined temperature range over the predetermined time period dueto the design of the container.

Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a thermalmanagement system. The thermal management system comprises a pluralityof insert panels formed as structurally porous panels and connectedtogether to form a container. A phase change material occupies voids orgaps within an interior of the plurality of structurally porous panels.The system further includes a liquid or fluid barrier material, such asa film layer, to at least prevent the phase change material from leakingout of the interior of the plurality of structurally porous panels.

In one preferred form, the present invention provides a system andmethod for maintaining a payload within a temperature range, between aminimum temperature and a maximum temperature. The invention includes afirst temperature control material having a first phase changetemperature sufficiently above the minimum temperature in the range toensure the payload does not fall below the minimum temperature in therange, and a second temperature control material having a second phasechange temperature sufficiently below the maximum temperature in therange to ensure the payload does not rise above the maximum temperaturein the range. In one embodiment, the first material exists as a liquidwithin the target temperature range, and the second material as a solid.The first material changes from its liquid phase to its solid phase at atemperature sufficiently above the minimum temperature in the range toensure the payload does not fall below the minimum temperature in therange, and the second material that changes from its solid phase to itsliquid phase at a temperature sufficiently below the maximum temperaturein the range to ensure the payload does not rise above the maximumtemperature in the range. In this manner, the latent heats associatedwith the respective phase changes assist in maintaining the temperatureof the payload within the range. Virtually any desired targettemperature range may be accommodated by appropriate selection of thefirst and second materials.

The present invention further includes heat transfer devices which cantake any of a number of forms, including without limitation: flexibleplastic pouches, rigid or semi-rigid panels, and/or blister packs. Theheat transfer devices comprise one or more reservoirs for containing thefirst and second materials. Separate heat transfer devices can beprovided for each of the first and second materials or, alternatively, asingle heat transfer device can be segmented into separate reservoirsfor each of the first and second materials. Baffles or other separationmeans can be provided within the heat transfer devices for maintainingthe first and second materials in position.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conceptionand specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthe invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages will be better understoodfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, thateach of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration anddescription only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference isnow made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an view of a package of a thermal containment system inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 2 through 6 are perspective views of the package of FIG. 1depicting progressively disassembled states.

FIG. 7 is a view of a segmented PCM-containing panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the segmented PCM-containing panel of FIG.7.

FIG. 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a segmented PCM-containingpanel of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of a segmented PCM-containing panel of FIG. 7as formed to define a corner, such as around a payload section.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a segmented PCM-containing panelprovided in flat form.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the PCM panel of FIG. 11 as manipulatedinto a generally rectangular form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The packaging system of the present invention was developed forshipments of goods which must be kept within narrow temperature rangesover a period of days under uncontrolled ambient temperature conditions.Such goods include biological products, blood products, vaccines,pharmaceuticals, chocolate products, latex paints, etc. The systemdescribed herein can be configured to maintain controlled producttemperatures under both high and low ambient temperature conditions.

This system uses phase change materials for tight temperature controland minimum shipping weight and volume. These phase change materials arereusable, and can save significantly on shipping costs. Various numbersof layers of phase change material may be used based upon timerequirements, ambient temperature requirements, thermal insulationfactor of the outer container, and the degree of temperature controlrequired for the product. Descriptions of various phase changematerials, parameters and engineering constraints are provided in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,899,088; 6,482,332; and 7,328,583, the disclosure of eachbeing incorporated herein by reference.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of a thermalmanagement system including a package 10 in an assembled state. Package10 includes an outer container 11 having a top wall, bottom wall andside walls. Package 10 includes outer container 11 containing anarranged plurality of insulation panels and segmented PCM panels. In theillustrated embodiment, container 11 is a rectangular box. Container 11may be insulated or uninsulated. In other embodiments, container 11 mayassume alternative forms, including, but not limited to, nonrectangularforms. Container 11 may be of plastic or polymer material, corrugatedpaper or corrugated plastic or other suitable material.

FIGS. 2 through 6 illustrate perspective views of package 10 and depictdisassembly of the package 10 of FIG. 1 to reveal a payload section. InFIG. 2, the top walls of container 11 are opened to reveal a pluralityof insulation panels 12. Separate insulation panels 12 are providedadjacent each of the six sides of container 11. FIG. 3 depicts thepackage 10 with the top insulation panel 12 removed. A PCM panel 13 isthereby exposed.

FIG. 4 depicts the package 10 with the top segment of the PCM panel 13opened to reveal a payload section. A second segmented PCM panel 13 isalso shown to wrap around 3 sides of the payload section. FIG. 5 depictsthe package 10 of FIG. 4 with the second segmented PCM panel 13 removed.FIG. 5 illustrates the first segmented PCM panel 13 wrapping around thepayload section along top, side and bottom portions thereof. FIG. 6shows the package of FIG. 5 with both PCM panels 13 removed. One of theinsulation panels 12 is also depicted as removed from the interior ofpackage 10. Insulation panels 12 can include vacuum insulation panels.While insulation panels 12 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 are generallyrectangular in form, panels 12 can assume a variety of other shapes andforms in alternative embodiments of the invention. Six generallyidentical insulation panels 12 are employed in the embodiment of package10 of FIG. 1.

As described hereinafter, the PCM panels 13 include a plurality ofinserts, such as corrugated material, for lightweight, structuralstability. The inserts are preferably contained within each PCM segmentand provided in direct contact with the phase change material.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pair of segmented PCM panels 13. PCM panels 13 mayassume different shapes or forms in alternative embodiments of theinvention. Panels 13 each contain a plurality of PCM segments 18. In theillustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1-7, a pair of flexible, segmented PCMpanels 13 are employed in package 10 and are defined by threePCM-containing segments 18. These segments 18 are separated by linearvoids 19. Voids 19 may be defined during a thermal bonding manufacturingprocess. For example, the voids 19 and cavity forming segments 18 may beformed from a pair of thermoplastic sheet materials brought togetherduring a thermal bonding/filling process. Voids 19 may be continuous,that is to say each segment 18 is separated from each other and PCM isprevented from flowing from one segment 18 to an adjacent segment 18. Inanother embodiment, voids 19 may be non-continuous and PCM is able toflow from one segment into another segment 18 when an external force issupplied. In short, the interior volumes of segments 13 may be eitherseparated or provided in fluid communication with each other.

FIG. 7 illustrates an insert 20 contained within PCM segments 18. FIG. 8illustrates a side perspective view of a pair of PCM-containing segments18 of a PCM panel 13. FIG. 9 depicts a cross-sectional view takenthrough one of the segments 18 of the PCM panel 13. As shown, aplurality of inserts 20 are contained within each segment 18. Inserts 20are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,583, entitled Thermally StableContainment Device and Methods, assigned to Entropy Solutions, Inc., andincorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

Inserts 20 may be corrugated, porous or fibrous panels which providelightweight, structural stability to the panel segments 18. In oneembodiment, inserts 20 are formed of a corrugated paper material adaptedto be saturated by liquid PCM within the segment 18. As shown in FIG. 8,the edges of the panel segments 18 are generally tapered. This taperingeffect results from stacking progressively smaller inserts 20 as shownin FIG. 9. FIG. 10 illustrates one benefit of the tapered edges wherebyan adjacent pair of panel segments forms a relatively tight cornercontaining PCM from both panel segments 18.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the PCMcomprises a material which melts and solidifies within a certaintemperature range profile and, in doing so, is capable of storing orreleasing energy. As a result, the PCM can be used to help maintain orregulate the temperature of materials within the container (e.g.,pharmaceutical products or blood). For example, a PCM may be designed tochange phase (i.e., melt or solidify) in a temperature range conducivefor storing bags of human blood. If for a particular application,thermal protection at a given temperature is required and there is noPCM that changes phase at that temperature, it is possible to mix two ormore PCMs and arrive at the desired phase change temperature of themixture.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each segment 18 contains a quantity of PCMheld between upper and lower films 24, 26. In one embodiment, segments18 are defined between film layers 24, 26 brought together during asealing/filling process. PCM is held within segments 18 defined by filmlayers 24, 26. The size of segments 18 could depend on a varietyconsiderations including, but not limited to, temperature constraints ofpayload and/or anticipated ambient temperature during shipping, size ofpayload, size or weight limitations of shipper, etc. It should beappreciated that alternative segment 18 designs could also be utilizeddepending, for example, on the geometry of the payload, thermalconstraints, etc.

FIG. 10 is an exemplary illustration of an embodiment of a layeredstructure of corrugated panel inserts 20 used to form a side of thepassive thermal management system of FIG. 1, in accordance with variousaspects of the present invention. The layered structure comprisesmultiple corrugated layers. Each corrugated layer includes flutes, gapsand voids, which are filled with PCM. FIG. 10 illustrates that a pair oftapered edge structures of adjacent pairs of segments 18 are broughttogether during a wrapping process, with said pair of edge structurescooperating to define a corner. By so tapering the edges of the segments18, a relatively air-tight and energy-efficient corner structure isprovided upon wrapping the segments 18 about a payload. While the edgestructures are illustrated as generally 45 degree tapers, alternativebox shapes may utilize edge structures which are angled differently ascompared to that of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate another embodiment of the present inventionwherein a segmented flexible PCM-containing panel 13 is used. Panel 13is defined by a pair of outer layers, such as plastic film, which aresegmented to contain PCM. Panel 13 includes a plurality ofPCM-containing segments 18 designated A, B, C and D. Some of thesegments 18 may include panel inserts 20. For example, central segments18 A, B, C and D may contain a panel insert 20 and the end segments 18A_(i), B_(i), C_(i), D_(i) and/or 18 A_(ii), B_(ii), C_(ii), D_(ii)would not contain an insert 20. In the illustrated embodiment, panel 13includes a plurality of cuts between A_(i) and B_(i), B_(i) and C_(i),C_(i) and D_(i), A_(ii) and B_(ii), B_(ii) and C_(ii) and C_(ii) andD_(ii) to facilitate the folding of the panel into a three dimensionaltemperature protection package.

Another aspect of the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12 is the provisionthat the segmented PCM panel 13 can be manipulated from a flat form, asshown in FIG. 11, into a box form 120 as shown in FIG. 12. In thismanner, all six sides of the box 120 are provided with a PCM segment 18.Ends 122 of the box 120 include overlapping PCM segments 18. The ends122 may be secured together to define a closed box using an adhesive,hook and loop fastener, or other mechanical or chemical fastening means.The adhesive or fastener may be provided upon the PCM panel 13 duringmanufacturing or placed during assembly into the box form 120.

A method of using the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12 would includeproviding a PCM panel 13 in flat form, preconditioning the PCM panel 13at a desired temperature, folding the PCM panel 13 into a box form 120,placing a payload within the PCM box 120, and inserting the PCM box 120into an outer container 124. During the folding step, adhesives or otherfasteners may be used to seal sides of the PCM box. Also during thefolding step, inserts 20 within one or more of the panel segments 18promote folding of the panel 13 along pre-configured linear voids 19.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, morethan two corrugated layers may be used to form a layered structure ofcorrugated panels for use in a thermal management system. In general,the design of each layer (thickness, PCM, trigger agent, barriermaterial, etc.) and the number of such layers determines the thermalperformance of the panel and, therefore, of the overall resultantcontainer (i.e., thermal management system). Numerical simulationsand/or algorithms may be used to determine the design of the thermalmanagement system for a desired thermal performance (i.e., maintaining adesired temperature range over a desired period of time). The algorithmsmay also take into account cost, allowing a designer to balance costversus number of PCM layers and insulation layers, for example.

The present invention is also directed to a package and method forencasing a payload cavity with flexible, segmented panels 13 containingphase change material. In one example, a water based phase changematerial is combined with another phase change material to providethermal protection for the payload. In another embodiment, the phasechange material may include thermodynamically effective quantities ofoctyl laurate. By properly selecting the phase change materials, apackage can be configured to provide maximum thermal protection for atemperature sensitive product during delivery. Employing a combinationof solid and liquid phase change materials in the container can provideprotection from both hotter and colder ambient temperatures duringdelivery, and a beneficial reduction in the amount of certain phasechange materials can result.

Embodiments of the present invention may include two or more differentphase change materials. In one embodiment, a water-based phase changematerial is utilized along with a second, non-water-based phase changematerial. In one embodiment, a temperature sensitive product isprotected against thermal damage from the water-based phase changematerial by an intermediate phase change material. Depending on thedesired temperature range, a variety of different phase change materialsmay be utilized to keep a temperature sensitive product warm or coldduring shipment through an environment having substantially differenttemperatures than desired. For example, prior to shipment one or both ofthe phase change materials can be preconditioned so that phase changematerial is in liquid form or solid form. Depending on the anticipatedambient temperature profile, the most effective combination of solid andliquid phase change material can be selected. If additional protectionis needed, auxiliary phase change material in solid, liquid, or solidand liquid phase can be added to augment the thermal capabilities of thecontainer.

Selection of the phase change materials may include consideration ofmultiple factors including, but not limited to, the desired protectedtemperature range, anticipated ambient temperatures during shipment,thermal properties of the different phase change materials, thermalproperties of the container and/or insulation panels, and thermalproperties of the temperature sensitive product being shipped. Thedesign and sizing of containers for the phase change material and theinsulation panels could vary depending on these factors as well.

A temperature maintaining packaging system in accordance with thepresent invention includes an insulated or non-insulated outercontainer, including but not limited to a box or envelope made ofplastic film, metallic foil or other suitable material, a phase changematerial panel or panels consisting of a sealed cavity or cavitieswithin a plastic film or other suitable material that is/arepreconditioned to be solid, liquid, or solid and liquid in varyingpredetermined combinations covering or mostly covering the interior ofthe outer container or envelope, and possibly a secondary phase changematerial sealed within a plastic film or other suitable material havinga single cavity or multiple cavities that is/are preconditioned to besolid, liquid, or solid and liquid in varying predetermined combinationscovering or mostly covering the interior of the first phase changematerial panel or panels all to thermally protect a payload within thecenter of the package.

A temperature maintaining packaging system in accordance with thepresent invention includes an outer rigid or semi-rigid tube or hollowcontainer made of paper, plastic or other suitable material along withsuitable caps for enclosing the package, a suitable insulation such as aplastic foam capable of wrapping around a phase change material panel orpanels and a payload container, a phase change material panel or panelsconsisting of a sealed cavity or cavities within a plastic film or othersuitable material that is/are preconditioned to be solid, liquid, orsolid and liquid in varying predetermined combinations covering ormostly covering the interior of the outer container, and possibly asecondary phase change material sealed within a plastic film or othersuitable material having a single cavity or multiple cavities thatis/are preconditioned to be solid, liquid, or solid and liquid invarying predetermined combinations covering or mostly covering theinterior of the first phase change material panel or panels all tothermally protect a payload within the center of the package.

The temperature maintaining package system in accordance with thepresent invention includes PCM panels wherein the phase change materialsare preconditioned to be solid, liquid, or both solid and liquid.

The invention is also directed to a method of preparing, packaging andshipping a container or envelope to thermally protect a payload oftemperature sensitive materials including: wrapping the payload materialto be thermally protected in a phase change material panel with one ormore segments of phase change material conditioned to be solid orliquid; wrapping the payload and initial phase change material panel ina secondary phase change material panel with one or more segments ofphase change material conditioned to be solid or liquid; as needed,wrapping the payload and panels with successive layers of phase changematerial panels as space and temperature protection demands; placing thepayload wrapped with phase change material panels into the outercontainer or envelope; and sealing the payload and phase change materialpanels inside the container and performing any necessary operations tocomplete the package such as but not limited to placing shippinginformation on the package, placing postage and instructions on thepackage, or puncturing a vacuum sealed outer envelope to allow expansionof the insulation material.

Another method of preparing, packaging and shipping a container tothermally protect a payload of temperature sensitive materials includes:wrapping the payload material to be thermally protected in a phasechange material panel with one or more cavities of phase change materialconditioned to be solid or liquid; wrapping the payload and initialphase change material panel in a secondary phase change material panelwith one or more cavities of phase change material conditioned to besolid or liquid; as needed, wrapping the package in successive layers ofphase change material panels as space and temperature protectiondemands; wrapping the payload wrapped with phase change material panelswith suitable insulation such as foam insulation; placing the payloadwrapped with phase change material panels and insulation into the outercontainer or envelope; and sealing the payload, phase change materialpanels, and insulation inside the container and performing any necessaryoperations to complete the package such as but not limited to attachingend caps to the container, placing shipping information on the package,or placing postage and instructions on the package.

The PCM panels may include phase change materials that have beenpreconditioned separately to be solid and liquid by adding heat energyto phase change material containers until the phase change material iscompletely liquid and conditioning the liquid phase change material tobe at an acceptable temperature for packaging; or removing heat energyfrom phase change material containers until the phase change material iscompletely solid and conditioning the solid phase change material to beat an acceptable temperature for packaging.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described indetail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions andalterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, thescope of the present application is not intended to be limited to theparticular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, compositionof matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from thedisclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing orlater to be developed that perform substantially the same function orachieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodimentsdescribed herein may be utilized according to the present invention.Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within theirscope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter,means, methods, or steps.

1. A transport package for a temperature sensitive payload comprising:an outer container having an interior defined by at least three sides; apanel defined by a plurality of interconnected segments containing phasechange material and at least one insert; and a payload section adaptedto receive the temperature sensitive payload, with the panel beingwrapped around the payload prior to insertion into the outer container,and with at least three of said plurality of interconnected segmentsbeing aligned with said at least three sides of the outer container. 2.The package of claim 1 wherein the panel includes a pair ofintermittently joined film layers defining cavities into which saidphase change material is received.
 3. The package of claim 2 wherein thepanel includes a plurality of voids defined by a plurality of inserts.4. The package of claim 3 wherein some of the voids are defined byflutes of a corrugated paper product.
 5. The package of claim 3 whereinedges of the plurality of inserts taper, and when the panel is foldedinto form, said edges of adjacent pairs of inserts are brought together.6. The package of claim 5 wherein the at least one insert includes aplurality of sheets of corrugated product.
 7. The package of claim 6wherein said plurality of sheets includes multiple sheets of decreasingsize.
 8. A method of packaging a temperature sensitive productcomprising: thermally preconditioning a flexible phase changematerial-containing panel, said panel including a plurality of segmentscontaining at least one insert; wrapping the panel around at least aportion of the temperature sensitive product; and inserting thetemperature sensitive product wrapped with the panel into an outercontainer, with said plurality of segments being aligned with aplurality of inside surfaces of said outer container.
 9. The method ofclaim 8 further comprising: thermally preconditioning a second flexiblephase change material-containing panel and wrapping the second flexiblephase change material-containing panel around the temperature sensitiveproduct prior to said inserting.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein saidat least one insert is a corrugated product.
 11. The method of claim 8wherein said at least one insert has tapered edges and wherein saidwrapping brings together a pair of tapered edges of an adjacent pair ofinserts to define a corner.
 12. The method of claim 8 wherein said panelincludes 6 segments and wherein said wrapping aligns the 6 segments with6 interior sides of the outer container.
 13. The method of claim 8wherein said panel includes 12 segments and wherein said wrapping alignsthe 12 segments with 6 interior sides of the outer container.
 14. Amethod of packaging a temperature sensitive payload comprising: wrappingthe payload in a first flexible, segmented panel containing an insertand phase change material preconditioned based on an anticipated ambienttemperature during transport of the payload; wrapping the payload in asecond flexible, segmented panel containing an insert and phase changematerial preconditioned based on another anticipated ambient temperatureduring said transport; and inserting the payload wrapped with thesegmented panels into an outer container, with panels of said segmentedpanels being aligned with inside surfaces of said container.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 further comprising: wrapping the payload with thermalinsulation prior to said inserting.
 16. The method of claim 14 whereinat least some phase change material has been preconditioned by addingheat energy to the at least some phase change material until the atleast some phase change material is liquid.
 17. The method of claim 14wherein at least some phase change material has been preconditioned byremoving heat energy from the at least some phase change material untilthe at least some phase change material is solid.
 18. The method ofclaim 14 wherein the segmented panels are thermally preconditioned basedon anticipated ambient temperatures during payload transportation. 19.The method of claim 14 wherein at least two different thermalpreconditioning processes are used to prepare the segmented panels. 20.The method of claim 14 wherein said wrapping the payload in the firstflexible, segmented panel includes providing the first panel in flatform and folding the first panel into a box form prior to inserting thepayload.